2001 Mazda Secret Hideout

Mazda's press release concerning this vehicle:

The Secret Hideout compact concept vehicle is designed to capture childlike thrills and excitement in a vehicle and recreate them in the hearts of today's young people. Young people today are searching for something simple, gentle, friendly and relaxed. They choose from the sometimes confusing array of goods and information available, and coordinate their choices to create their own unique identities.

The Secret Hideout is designed to provide young people with excitement as well as a personalized retreat in which to ease the mind and heart. For that purpose, development aims included: a simple, friendly and warm design; a handmade feel focusing on individual details; and components that allow individual selection and coordination.

The Secret Hideout might have been designed to "capture childlike thrills and excitement" but I think it would have been every parents' nightmare.

PT Cruiser based limousine

 

1946 Hewson Rocket

Coachcraft Ltd was opened in Hollywood, California in 1940. They began building custom bodies. In 1945 William Hewson formed the company Hewson Pacific Corp. and made plans to produce the Hewson Rocket. He projected a price point of $1000. Coachcraft fabricated the aluminum panels and welded them together. Hewson's design was to be very aerodynamic with no projections from the body- glass covered headlights, no door handles and tail lights flush to the body. By the time the car was finished Hewson had run out of capital. Coachcraft kept the car in their showroom until a used car salesman bought it for $650 in a 1959 auction. Coachcraft is still in operation today by one of the founder's sons in Morepark, California. 

Narrow electric

This vehicle is based on a 1993 Fiat Pravda. It was built by Italian mechanic, Andrea Marazzi. It is 19" wide.

Happy Birthday, Nancy

 

Dyna-Panhard Junior

The Dyna-Panhard was in production from 1952 through 1956 and in that time approximately 4700 were produced. It was introduced in 1951 at the Paris Auto Show.

It featured front wheel drive and was powered by an air cooled 2 cylinder boxer type engine. During the production run the car went from a 745cc engine to one of 850cc and a few were fitted with a supercharger. Additional information is available on Wikipedia.

A delicate balance

 

Homegrown camper

 

Movin'

 

1969 Beetle limousine

 This beetle will be offered by Sotheby's on August 15th. The odometer is showing 4830 miles. The preauction estimate is $150-200,000. More information at Sothebys.com

Ford concept 021C

Presented as merely a design exercise and not a proposal for production. it was shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1999.
 

The Spirit of Tomorrow

Two guys in their 20's from British Columbia with high school educations built the Spirit of Tomorrow in 1942. The story is told at Autoevolution and I have included the video from that site below.

1932 American Bantam

 Crossing the Pudding River (Oregon) in the 1930's

Opposite ends of the spectrum for modified Geo Metros

 

1953 Ford Vega roadster

Vincent E. Gardner was a designer of some renown. He was submitting car designs and winning contests while still in high school. He worked at Auburn Automobile Company before going to Studebaker to work under Raymond Lowey.

In 1947 he bought a new Studebaker Champion coupe and took it home to disassemble it. He turned it into the Gardner Special and in 1950 it won Most

Magnificent Custom Roadster at the National Roadster Show.

In 1951 he won a design contest sponsored by Motor Trend Magazine and Ford Motor Company with his Vega roadster. It was widely acclaimed and Ford was encouraged to put it into production. The fact that it was based on a (English) Ford Anglia chassis killed the project. The enthusiasm for the two seater roadster is credited for Ford introducing the Thunderbird in 1955.

The Oakland-San Francisco Bridge

The bridge generates $2,080,000 a day in tolls. The $8.00 toll is collected from 260,000 vehicles a day.